Pierre River Mine Project

HEALTH AENV SIRS 79 – 89
Question No. 87
Request Volume 2, SIR 75c, Page 18-47.
Section 14.1
Shell states that as part of the water quality assessment and the aquatic
assessment substances of potential concern were comprehensively screened.
87a Clarify if the screening was based on human health endpoints. If not, update the
HHRA accordingly.
Response 87a All chemicals potentially released to local surface water, with the exceptions of
dissolved solids and nutrients, were evaluated as part of the multiple pathway
assessment in the Human Health Risk Assessment (see EIA, Volume 3, Section
5.3.2.2). That is, no screening of the chemicals potentially released to local
surface water bodies was conducted for the HHRA.
Question No. 88
Request Volume 2, SIR 80a, Page 18-75
88a Clarify if cabin residents also share Aboriginal receptor characteristics. If so,
identify.
Response 88a Cabin and Aboriginal residents share the same physical characteristics (i.e., body
weight, inhalation rate, soil ingestion rate, water ingestion rate and body surface
area) and lifestyle characteristics (i.e., time spent at the cabin or residence and
food consumption rates) (see EIA, Volume 3, Section 5.3). The only difference in
the assessment of potential health risks for cabin and Aboriginal residents were
the discrete locations at which they were assumed to permanently reside and the
source of their drinking water.
Cabin residents were assessed using the highest exposed of the 12 cabins
identified in Table 5.3-4 of the HHRA (see EIA, Volume 3, Section 5.3), while
Aboriginal residents were assessed using the highest exposed of the nine
applicable communities (Anzac, Clearwater (IR 175), Conklin, Descharme Lake,
Fort Chipewyan, Fort McKay, Fort McMurray, Janvier/Chard (IR 194), La
Loche, Namur River (IR 174A) and Poplar Point (IR 201G)).
With respect to drinking water, cabin residents were assumed to drink water from
local surface waterbodies, while Aboriginal residents were assumed to have
access to the Fort McKay municipal water supply.
April 2010 Shell Canada Limited 14-35
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